


Wanderers

by breadisjelly



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 00:23:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20985734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breadisjelly/pseuds/breadisjelly
Summary: Roland-19 is wandering in the woods when he realizes he's not alone. He's being followed, but by who and why?





	Wanderers

Roland-19 knew he was being tracked. He had been wandering the dense forests somewhere in the European Dead Zone for a few months now. Usually he wouldn't mind being tracked, it was usually a group of Fallen trying to catch a lone Guardian off guard. But a few weeks ago something changed or rather, _ he _ changed. The change wasn't on purpose though. Reports on the Vanguard feed say the Cabal came and put a giant cage on the Traveller, effectively cutting off _ every _Guardian from the Light. So now, he was a bit wary of what may be behind him. He might not survive a few Fallen now, what with his Ghost being nothing but a floating AI with a flashlight on it now.

Being mortal didn't stop Roland from his overall goal though. He was still scouting the EDZ. But he wasn't looking for survivors anymore. He wasn't too sure _ what _he was looking for now. Even if he found a group of people out here, what was he to do? He had nowhere to send them, the City is full of Cabal now. Although, he would occasionally come across a group of Guardians that could use an extra hand. Depending on what they needed, he might help, but he found it easier to stay alive if he stayed solo. Now though, he was tired. It had been a long few weeks. He may not be organic, but he still needed sleep for some stupid reason. Why Clovis-Bray made Exos need sleep was lost him, maybe he knew once when they first made him, but now he just hated that they had. 

After a few days of being followed, he backtracked to throw them off his trail just for a little bit. Found a good spot to sit and wait, and waited. It was night a day later, when a lone figure emerged from the darkness, clearly following his trail. Roland decided to follow this figure for a while, return the favor. As the sun began crested the horizon to resume its age old daily path across the sky, he began to be able to pick out feature of the figure. It was human, maybe Awoken or Exo, he couldn't tell quite yet. And they weren't wearing any Guardian armor, just some semi-regulation FotC clothing. Why were they following him? Did they know who he was and are looking for him? Or do they think he's helpless and are trying to help him? It was about time to find out. 

The next time the stranger stopped for a rest, Roland worked his way back ahead of him and found a place on his path and left him a message. On a nearby tree, he unsheathed a blade and used it to carve a frequency. And to make sure it was seen, he left a knife in the tree at an angle that should catch the morning sun and cause a glint of light. Then found a nearby tree and settled in and waited. They wait was rough. Just because he's an Exo, doesn't mean his joints didn't register as being stiff and achy.

"How are you sure this is going to work?", his Ghost asked in private comms after a few hours.

"Because"

"Just because? No actual reason or logic behind it?"

"I just know, okay? I left enough of a path for them to keep going this direction. Simple. If they want me, they'll find me. If they want me dead... Well, they won't live to try."

"I wish you wouldn't be so cocky, I can't bring you back, remember?" Roland ignored that. He knew one Lightless person was no match for him, even if he himself had no light either.

Some time later, Roland received finally received a ping on his comms and a voice came in with, "H-hello? Guardian? Are you listening? My name's Darwin.". Male, human, from the sounds of it, definitely sounded from the City. Roland wanted to know what he wanted more than who he was, though. 

"What"

"W-well, I was hoping to talk to you. I mean, we are now but, more face to face than we currently are, I mean... Sir.."

"Sir? Aren't we the fancy type. Fine, I'll be right down."

"Down? I-", but he was cut off by a Hunter, covered in camo with a cloak like a moss blanket dropped straight down from the trees, only a couple meters from where Darwin stood by the carved tree, releasing a small sound of fear. Roland, after stretching his joints, strode over to Darwin and now stood face to face with him. Well, face to helmet. 

"Okay. Talk."

"You uh, don't talk much, huh?"

"No."

"No, he really doesn't. It gets annoying to have to talk for him." Roland's Ghost added.

"Don't feel the need to bother to talk much." added Roland with a grunt.

"Anyway, uh sir. I-"

"Stop with the 'sir'. I'm not Zavala, or any other form of authority. I'm just Roland." Roland interjected.

"Roland-19 to be precise, and I'm-", added the small cube, painted with a similar camo pattern, but with a small net hanging on it tried adding in. Now hovering over Roland's shoulder.

"I don't think the number of resets in my past life is necessary to share."

"Fine", the Ghost said with a huff before disappearing back into Roland's pocket.

"Anyway... Roland... We have been setting up a safe zone out here in the EDZ and we've been trying to being any and all able bodied persons, Guardians and non-Guardians, there to help out. We heard there was a Guardian out here in the woods so we've been searching for you for a while now." Darwin recited, finally able to get a word in.

Roland, enticed by the thought of a shelter to be able to rest safely and at least semi-comfortably in, agreed to go back with him with a quick, "Fine". But before they left, Roland reclaimed his board from the tree and scratched off the bark and some wood to remove the frequency so no one, namely no Fallen, could tap into and spy on. On the way to this, "Farm", Darwin was full of questions. Why wasn't Roland wearing the parade armor that most of the other Guardians had been wearing? The bright white, blue and silver would've stuck out in the woods and Roland didn't stay for long afterwards so why leave it on. Why was he wandering the woods? It's just what Roland did. Hunters hunt and roam. Question after question, reminding Roland of why he was a lone wolf, the damn stupid small talk. Finally, when they came into view of the Farm, did Darwin ask the question Roland had been assuming he would ask.

"So... How did you know I was following you? I was pretty far back and it's not like you could have heard me making any noise."

"Because I know you. Not _ you _ you. But you're type, _ our _ type. You're a wanderer, just like me. We follow and stalk our prey. Usually, it's some Fallen stalking me. I've developed a sort of sixth sense, I guess you could call it. I just know. If I didn't have it, I wouldn't have been a good Hunter, or a live one, for long."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That and really good motion tracking radar." That got a laugh out of Darwin. It wasn't a joke. Fallen usually were stupid enough to stumble into the edge of his radar, alerting him to their presence. Darwin hadn't though, that had been solely this feeling of his he has that alerted Roland of him. 

When they got to the Farm, Roland was surprised to see how large and busy it was. The perimeter was manned with Guardians and non-Guardian militia alike. The grand barn had been converted into a small hanger with a jumpship parked inside in mid retrofitting. Holliday was probably somewhere nearby. Shaxx and his Redjacks had claimed old horse stalls. Zavala was posted on a balcony off the loft, over viewing the entire operation. The rest of the Vanguard was nowhere to be seen, perhaps not even here. The old rundown house, appeared to have been made into a command center, with a large satellite dish affixed to it's roof. Nearby was a nice, but rundown, fountain in the center of a small circular indent in the ground with some temporary storage vaults placed against the wall. Here, some chickens pecked at the ground, scattering when someone went to visit the vaults. Tess was set up in a nearby tent, trying to help Guardians with their fashion, although none seemed to care at the moment. On the other side of this small plaza was another shack, here a Cryptarchs was set up. Helping Guardians decrypt their Engrams. Roland remembered her as Tyra Karn, from the Iron Temple. He had seen there a time or two, but he didn't often go there. What happened there, and how did she get here? Behind her building was a creek, which powered the water wheel attached to her shack. Across a bridge, was a decently sized soccer pitch where some Guardians played soccer with each other and some youth. And far off in the distance, a huge hulking mass sat. Crackling with energy that didn't look as holy as the entity it had broken off from. The shard of the Traveller, he overheard, had been corrupting the land around it for the centuries it had resided there since the Collapse. It really was quite packed here. And Darwin wasn't wrong, a lot of Guardians still bore their parade gear. The Cabal must've attacked soon after then. Many Guardians wore broken armor, unable to replace or fix it. Though many had begun replacing pieces with makeshift gloves or boots, most were just simple gloves wrapped with rope and maybe a plasteel plate strung to their chest. They were making due with what they could and what was available. Roland was lucky enough to have taken a spare set of armor with him when he left.

After giving himself a short tour, Roland decided to check in with Zavala who told him to get some rest before he went back out. Although, Roland could tell he really did not want any Guardians leaving when they were so vulnerable. But Zavala must've known he couldn't stop them all and knew they could handle themselves, so he didn't bother to try. Once Roland had found his way to the bunks to get some rest, he removed his helm, and climbed into the nearest open cot. Before falling asleep, he thought to himself, _ I could get used to this place _, and drifted off into a much needed rest.


End file.
